This invention generally relates to aircraft disk brakes and more particularly to a unique configuration for a disk brake actuator having an integrally mounted adjuster for brake wear compensation.
Aircraft disk brake assemblies are conventionally located within the inboard end of a wheel that is rotatably carried by a strut mounted axle. Various brake configurations are being used and these generally include a multi-disk stack of rotating and non-rotating friction elements, the rotating elements being keyed to the wheel while the non-rotating elements are keyed to a relatively stationary torque tube member. The torque tube is usually affixed to a brake housing that also carries a plurality of hydraulically driven actuators and brake wear compensating or adjusting devices. The actuators are in spaced locations about the brake housing and conventionally include a piston that engages a brake pressure plate associated with the disk brake stack to compress the stack and effect braking of the wheel in response to a requirement for braking action as effected by the pilot. The brake wear adjusters are in alternate positions with respect to the actuators and these generally include a pin-and-swage mechanism, the pin being connected to the brake pressure plate at one end and to the swage at the opposite end. The swage is drawn through a deformable tube as friction disk wear occurs and upon the application of braking effort and when the hydraulic pressure on the actuator is released, the adjusters draw the pressure plate away from the disk stack a specific distance. This maintains a constant distance of travel for the piston upon subsequent brake actuation irrespective of any wear experienced by the friction elements of the brake stack.